6 OCTOBER 1855, Page 14

THE NEW COALITION.

Manchester, 3d October 1855.

Sin—The mask is thrown off at last. After a good deal of bush-fighting, in which the leaders of the Peace party have shown themselves to he very clever strategists, they have at last wen up the Russian system of tactics, and declared themselves ready for an open trial of strength in favour of-im- mediate peace with Russia, on such terms as that Power may be willing to accept You have probably seen an article in last Saturday's Press, the organ of Mr. Disraeli, in which he declares himself ready to join the Peace party, on the ground that all the objects of, the war have been accomplished, and that, unless we make peace now, the contest may be interminable. Of course you are aware that this is what the Peace party have been saying all along. They always said that the resources of Russia were inexhaustible) and -that the longer the war lasted we should only sink ourselves the deeper in difficulties. Three months ago the Peelites found out this, and fancied that by joining with Messrs. Cobden and Bright they would be able to upset Lord Palmerston. Now we have Mr. Disraeli taking the same course ; and the Manchester Peace organ of today is in raptures at the adhesien of so elo- quent a debater in -favour of Russia. •

" We trust itis no disparagement of Mr. Disraeli's character as a statesman," sari the Manchester Examiner, "if we regard his adhesion to what has been designated the 'Peace party 'as a fact of unusual significance. We have no reason to estimate has-patriotism and independence at a lower figure than that of his Parliamenbuy ri- vals, but still we believe that if one Member of the House of Commons recognizes more fully than the rest the necessity of popular support to the furtherance of his own views, that individual is Mr. Disraeli ; and we are too strongly impressed wills a conviction of his love of power-to think that he would thus boldly commit himself to a pacific policy, if he did not feel pretty confident that such a step will place hini ere long on the winning side. Skilled as he is in interpreting the signs which mark the ebb and flow of public opinion, and anxious as he undoubtedly is to make him- self as far as possible the oracle of that opinion, his accession to the influential band of statesmen whose views are known to be favourable to peace, is to be regarded as the verdict of a consummate master of political probabilities as to the direction in whidrpublic intelligence is tending. As such it is a propheciottomingeventsoudi a prophecy which is all the. more valuable because it is in reality- after the event; be notLieg morn than a shrewd interpretation of existingfacts." et you Londoners may think of the sagacity displayed.by M. Disraeli. in. casting in hi a lot with the Peace-at-any-price party, Edo not_pretend to gems ; but I know that the introduction of his name into the new political' firm of Gladstone, Bright Cobden, and Graham, has not improved their chance of doing much profitable business- in this borough, whatever effect it may have elsewhere. So far from looking upon Mr. Disraeli as-" a consum- mate_ master of political probabilities "—which is equal to calling him. a. clearsighted statesman—most; peophi in thia town look upon him as a mere stump-orator, who has contrived to make his "gift of the gab" atone in some degree with his own parts', for his shocking want of principle. Looking-at his "antecedents," as the current phrase goes, I do not know a single man of note in the present House of Commons in whom the electors of Manchester would feel less disposed to place confidence than in the ea- Chancellor of the Exchequer. That Mr. Bnght's organ in this town should. display so much rapture at the-proposed coalition, only shows how very low the statue of that party has fallen. It may be said that there is no evidence as to Mr. Disraeli's-willingness to shake hands with Mr. Brigist. On that point I' do not pretend to know more than the Manehesier Examiner of today, which takes for granted that. the article in the Press has been dictated by the Member for Bucks. Should that prove to be the ease, it will only furnish another instance of his in- ability to read the signs of the times. I have bug been of opinion that the influence which Mt Disraeli maintains over. a section of the Conservative party is chiefly owing to the mystery in which he envelops his, policy- perhapsi ought rather-to say, his strategy, fora system of policy presupposes political principles of some kind or other. The vulgar faculty of wonder is very large in that numerous class of persons who cannot see beneath the- surface. They are always looking out for some artful stroke of finesse, some

rretat ; and no political adventurer has ever turned that propensity to- more profitable account for his own purposes than the Veiled Prophet of Bucks. The artielein the Press is not at all in keeping with his usual under-. hand mode of working. He no doubt fancies that he has come out. at the righttime, but he never made a greater mistake.

As for the Opinions of the electors of Manchester, from all I can gather- they are as strongly- opposed to the part played by Mr. Bright-as ever-they were. It is true, there are not a few manufacturers and spinners who- would like to see peace proclaimed, because they believe that if the wan were over theyeould,sell their goods and yarns to better advantage than, they do at present. Those who look -only to immediate results, and follow 4r. Cobden in his non-intervention doctrines, never dream of taking. into. account the state of our foreign relations, and the necessity of obtaining i. • ch material guarantees from Russia as shall give us a secure and honour_ le peace. As I stated'on a former occasion, the old officials of the Anti- rn-law League are nearly all in favour- of that course ; and if- this were a small borough they- vroidd not have much difficulty in working it, in the event of an early dissolution. But Manchester has a large Democratic con- stituency, and- unless Mr. Bright can came forward with a very different programme from what he has lately announced,, he will stand no chance of obtaining their suffrages. In a speech he made last week to some two or three hundred members- of Friendly Societies in this town, he alluded in a very contemptuous style to Lord Palmerston, whom he represented as utterly, ignorant of the feelings of the working classes; leaving it to be inferred that he, -(Mr. Bright,) although he may not have giveu satisfaction by what be has said on foreign affairs, is an excellent re- presentative-of the feelings mid opinions of working men. Now on that point a good many people are disposed to differ from him. It is true that he was a favourite with.the Democracy a few years ago, but that was when he came forward as an advocate of the extension-of the suftlage: Since he has, begun to speak contemptuously of "the populace," because they are in fa- your of-the war, and to fight, shy about the suffrage, there isnothing left for lihn to fall back upon, as

i his views on other questions are exteediegly un-

popular. No man s more strongly in favour of leaving the shopkeeper or the millowner to do as he pleases, without the interference of Government. His opposition to the Ten-Hours Bill may have pleased some of the wealthier electors, but it rendered him very. unpopular among the working classes. In his address to the Friendly Societies, the other day, he spoke of the im- potence of acts of Parliament to protect children from harm, where parental affection is not strong enough for that purpose : but the operatives of Lan. cashire and Yorkshire must have thought 'otherwise when they petitioned for a Ten-Hours Bill; nor did Mr. Bright show much sympathy for their wants and wishes On that occasion, else he would surely ant have givenstich strenuous opposition -to that measure. Even his political economy, of-which his admirers boast so much, must have been sadly at fault when he pre-. dieted such ruinous consequences as certain to follow from a reduction of the hours of labour in factories.

As regards the proposed open coalition between the Peace party -and the Dismelites, I do not believe that it will answer any other purpose than was served by the virtual coalition which took place last session. No sane per- son believes that Mr. Disraeli or Mr. Bright ever wished the war to be carried on in such a manner as would give us a secure andlonourablepsaee; and when they now affirm that the fall of Sebastopol has put an end Wall danger to the peace of Europe from Russian aggression, we know that such a phrase means nothing, as they never believed that there was any danger from that quarter. The ,Maneheeter Examiner, which is as much under the inspiration of /dr. Bright as the- Press is under that of Mr. Disraeli, assure. its readers that "Russia is crippled for aggressive purposes for half a century- to mune." But as the same paper affirmed, a few months ago, that the fall Of Sebastopol would leave us Just where we were before the war began, and its Mr. Cobden assured the House of Commons last session that as soon as the war was over our Rothschilds and Barings would soon provide money, enough to enable the Czar to rebuild- Sebastopol stronger than ever, such an as- surance from the Peace party cannot, go for much with the eleetoesof Manchester.

What Manchester wants now, is a man who understands foreign politics-- one who believes that' the wise management of our relations with foreign powers is the most important question of the day. To leave the representa- tion of this large and influential borough in the hands of a man like Mr. Bright, who believes that we ought not to meddle with foreign affairs at all, is equivalent to leaving ourselves without a voice in the Legislature. Sup- pose a general convocation were to be elected from the whole nation to settle some grand dispute between Protestants and Catholics Batt) theinterpretation of some important text of Scripture,. what would be thought of any town which, in such a case, should choose an Atheist as its representative ? Se far as the foreign, policy of England is concerned, Mr. Bright is without a creed. He holds, with Mr. Cobden, that we ought to have no foreign policy at all. How can the advice of such a man,have any. weight in the Ilouseof Commons when the terms, of peace come under discussion ? If Manchester is content to see a dishonourable peace negotiated—if the present Govern- ment is willing to allow Russia to boast ence.more of her power to win bark by diplomacy what she has lost in war—we could not have a better repre- sentative in Parliament than Mr. Bright. Are OLD Laser:ea.